Reconnecting In Lampung #1

Last tuesday, one of my closest friends' father passed away. He was one of my most favorite people in Senior High School, we were really close on the first grade, but things just get weird in my class so there was an unnecessary distance between us. We both went to a different state universities in West Java, yet the distance was even wider and wider. By the end of my study, I realized I knew nothing about what he'd been through all those 4 years.

As a girl raised in a not-so-crowded city, I barely arrange any meeting with friends in such crowded cities like Jakarta or Bandung. Sometimes the only free time that they had was an hour or two, and in a crowded cities like Jakarta or Bandung, those free time might just be spent on the bad traffic. If you're in Lampung, and you have an hour or two of free time, you could just drive to your friends' house or to the nearest cafe and just talk.

On the night that his father just passed away, I drove to his house, without knowing whether he had arrived from Bandung or not, I don't care if I'd be able to meet him or not. In fact, that night, I almost went home if only I hadn't heard someone told my mother that he already arrived at Bakauheni around 6 PM, so I thought he might be arriving soon (It was 8 PM when I heard the news). I was glad I waited because he arrived at around 8.30 PM. Me and Uti just shake his hand, letting him went inside his house. It was the briefest meeting I have ever had in my entire life, yet I felt relieved that I could see his face in one of the worst nights of his life.

6 days after, I went to his house again. That day, I realized that the distance between his house and mine is not so short, though it was lunch time when I went there (and working people be like : LUNCH TIIIMEEE!), it was only a half-hour drive, of course because this is Lampung, not Jakarta.

Lots of memories of us and my senior high school  played back in my mind, on that night I met him so briefly, on the day I drove to and from his house, and at night after we talked for almost 2 hours.

For these last couple of years, I haven't missed my senior high school era as much as I do this week, and I have never realized how easy it is to reconnect when you're in Lampung. There's no such thing as #MissingLink here.

ISC Deux, don't be a stranger.Stay connected.

Driving In Lampung

I have lived in 3 cities in Indonesia so far. The first one is the city where I was born and raised at, Bandar Lampung, Lampung. The second one is Bandung, West Java, it’s the place where I study for my bachelor degree. The third one is Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, I currently live here because I am currently studying for my master degree, I have also spent 1 year working in the city before I get into the master degree program.

The city where I was born and raised at shall not be compared with the other two, according to some people, whether they’re Lampung residents or visitors, #ThisCity has so little to offer. Well yes if you’re the kind of person who thinks happiness and fun can only be found in shopping malls.

But I beg to differ, one of the small reasons why I love #ThisCity is because in Lampung, I can drive my car with more warmth in my mind than anger. You see, Lampung has a lot of hill, unlike Bandung and Jakarta. It has a lot of beach within half to one hour driving range. It means, when you’re driving your car in Lampung, there’s always a chance that you will get to see the beach. The best time to drive your car in Lampung is around 5.45 pm, because the sun is about to set, well you can of course choose another hour because when the sun above your head, the scenery is Santorini-like, and my most favorite spots are : Turunan Damri and Tanjakan Hotel Emersia.

See? Beauty can be found even in the most ordinary.

a view from Turunan Damri from my car. Easy, my mom took this picture, not me.

The Grass Is Always Greener On The Other Side

One morning, I was standing on one of Jakarta’s sidewalks, waiting for my friend to pick me up with her motorbike. The traffic was crowded, the sun was shining brightly, but fortunately the breezy wind was around. I looked up at the trees, the sun light was bursting through the trees. As always, it reminds me of a friend who once said, “Do you know that you have a beautiful country?”, we were on the toll road, and he said that as he saw the mountains we were passing.

This friend of mine came from a beautiful country too, I’ve never been there, but I do know that it also has a wonderful scenery.

Everytime I remember him, I remind myself that  I should always be able to see the beauty of simply anything, to see the good in every bad.